Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers and computer-assisted devices, and more particularly to apparatus, method and computer program product embodiments of devices for providing medical care with the remote assistance of a medical professional.
Description of the Related Art
Computers and computer systems are found in a variety of settings in today's society. Computing environments and networks may be found at home, at work, at school, in government, and in other settings. Computers and computer systems, including associated data storage, are increasingly being utilized to lower costs, increase productivity, provide security, and a host of other functions.
In the medical industry, the resources of medical professionals are increasingly spread in a variety of areas. In addition, demand for care has increased, while the supply, particularly of primary care physicians, has not. As a result, an alternative mechanism to meet medical need, such as providing remote contact with medical professionals for routine medical care, is needed. This alternative mechanism would help the medical professional better manage the increasing demand on their available resources, principally time, and allow for greater access to care for more patients. Currently, an effort is underway to facilitate medical consultations using computers and computing systems. This current effort, as of yet, has not fully addressed the need.
Providing health care in remote areas has been a challenge for decades. Traditionally, teams of healthcare professionals combine their talents and skills and engage in “missions” to areas where healthcare is required. These missions are limited in scope and duration, and generally rely on donations of time and equipment by the participants. Healthcare is only provided during the course of the missions, and follow-up care is rarely available for those in the area the mission visits. This has been the traditional method of first and second world nations providing healthcare to rural areas for many years, and there are few advances in this method.